The Story Behind
From Telling to Teaching
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From one generation to the next.
From Telling to Teaching began with the work of Dr. Joye Norris, Jennifer’s mother, who spent her career helping people rethink what it means to teach and learn. Her philosophy was simple but powerful: telling people something does not mean they have learned it. Real learning happens when people are invited to participate, reflect, connect, and make meaning for themselves.
Today, From Telling to Teaching, LLC carries that idea into a new generation of professional learning. Jennifer honors the foundation her mother created while bringing her own experience, perspective, humor, and approach to the work. Her workshops focus not simply on what participants need to know, but on the people in the room—how they understand one another, communicate, build trust, and demonstrate genuine caring.
Don’t just tell people. Create an experience that helps them learn.
Teaching and learning, learning and teaching...
Long before teaching was my job title, it was simply something I did.
As a child, I would take lessons—ballet, tap, gymnastics, baton—and then teach what I had learned to other kids on the playground. One summer, my dad built a tap dance floor in our basement so I could hold lessons for friends in the neighborhood.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in education, and teaching has taken me to places I never could have predicted. I’ve taught childbirth education classes, worked as a birth doula, owned and operated businesses, and spent a decade in the high school classroom. My work has expanded from teaching students to coaching and supporting the educators who teach them.
Along the way, I became increasingly interested in what helps people learn, grow, communicate, and work well together. I earned a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from Anderson University, became a Certified True Colors® Facilitator, completed extensive training in coaching and leadership development, and became a member of the International Coaching Federation.
The degrees and credentials have given me more tools, but the heart of the work is still remarkably similar to what I was doing as a little girl with a homemade tap floor:
Learn. Share. Help people grow.
My husband John and I live in coastal North Carolina, where we raised our three now-grown children. Our life together has included family, education, small-business ownership, community involvement, and plenty of learning along the way. These experiences have given me an appreciation for the fact that while organizations may look very different from one another, they all have one thing in common: they're made of people.
From Telling to Teaching gives me the opportunity to create experiences that help people better understand themselves and one another, communicate more effectively, build trust, and create cultures where people know they matter.
